Question

The pros and cons of 16 days of activism against women and child abuse

Answer 1

The main pro is that this is a worldwide initiative, so the message spreads everywhere - from the Third-World countries, to the developed countries, as no society is immune to mistreating and abusing women and children. The women and children who have been victims can feel that they are not alone and left to themselves. Also, this campaign is meant to contribute to the shift of the paradigm. Politicians and high officials are supposed to use the opportunity to talk about the issues.

However, there are also the cons, as in every campaign. First of all, in many countries, this campaign has turned into a celebration of women's rights, instead of being, first and foremost, an awareness-raising campaign that wants to change things for the better. Second, in some countries (such as South Africa), churches are included in the campaign - the same churches that probably wouldn't accept and help beaten or raped lesbians, for example.